Armored vehicle turret

ABSTRACT

An armored vehicle in which a turret is mounted in the well of a vehicle body for rotation about a vertical axis, there being an ammunition bunker located outside the turret and in the well. The bunker is arranged centrally with respect to the turret and is rotatable therewith about the vertical axis, and is connected to the turret for movement with only those parts of the turret which partake only of rotation of the turret about the vertical axis.

]March 20, 1973 .89/36 K .F41h 5/20 89/36 K, 37.5 A, 40 B won Duplessis.......................

weg, Germany Rheinstahl Aktiengesellschaft, Essen, Germany Sept. 5, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 857,294

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Inventor: Hans-Georg Schallehn, Hummel- United States Patent Schallehn ARMORED VEHICLE TURRET [73] Assignee:

[22] Filed:

[58] Field of Search..89/33, 33 BB, 33 BC, 34, 36 H,

VPATENTEDHARZO I975 3.721.156

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v (E I [OH I gm/l2. INVENTOR.

J HANS-GEORG SCHALLEHN mwmm ARMORED VEHICLE TURRET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION only the weapon and its associated mechanisms, the

space occupied by the personnel and ammunition bunker, but also the mechanism by means of which the ammunition is conveyed from the storage bunker to the point where the ammunition is loaded into the gun, so that all of these parts partake of the movement of the turret.

There exist arrangements in which the so-called magazine, i.e., the ammunition bunker, as well as the conveyor means are arranged laterally of the rotary turret. In such arrangements, the magazines are fixedly connected with those parts of the gun barrel whose elevation is adjustable and which are pivotal with their trunnions in the rotatable part of the turret. This onesided location of the magazines has several drawbacks, one being that the center of gravity is laterally displaced, and another being that, due to the presence of relatively large eccentric masses, powerful drives have to be provided for stabilizing the turret and aiming the weapon. Another drawback is that if the weapon is held in any one position throughout a relatively long firing sequence, the reduction of weight, due to the expending of ammunition, causes a continuous shift in the center of gravity. Additionally, the arrangement involving a one-sided ammunition bunker requires a relatively large amount of space, which, in turn, makes it difficult to accommodate the large quantity of control and steering gear, loading mechanism, and the like, which has to be provided.

There exist other types of arrangements in which the turret carries two guns, arranged on the outside and on both sides of the turret, and in which conveyor means are provided for carrying the ammunition outwardly from the turret, since the loading mechanisms then do not occupy the same space as that which is occupied by the personnel. The drawback of such an arrangement, however, is that space within the turret is not adequate ly protected so that the personnel occupying the turret are vulnearble to enemy fire.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a way in which to overcome the above drawbacks, and at the same time to provide a simple way of arranging the ammunition bunker and conveyor means therefor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an advantageous arrangement of the above type in which the center of gravity of the turret remains the same regardless of the elevation and tilt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above objects are achieved in that the turret of the armored vehicle is mounted in a well of the vehicle body so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The ammunition bunker is located outside the turret and in the well, and is arranged centrally with respect to the turret and is rotatable therewith about the vertical axis. The bunker is connected to the turret for movement with only those parts of the turret which partake only of rotation of the turret about the vertical axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of one embodiment of an armored vehicle according to the present invention with only those parts which are essential to the present invention being shown.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally on line 2'- 2 of FIG. 1, with certain non-essential parts likewise having been omitted.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing a modified embodiment of an armored vehicle according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the same show a body I of an armored combat vehicle carrying a movably mounted turret 2, the interior of which is designed to be occupied by the personnel. The turret is triaxially stabilized, in a manner well known in the art. The gun or weapon 3 is likewise carried by the turret 2.

The turret is mounted for rotation about the vertical axis by means of an azimuth bearing 4 whose outer ring race 5 is secured to the vehicle body 1. The ammuni tion bunker 6 is located between the rotary turret 2 and the interior of the vehicle, i.e., in a well 15 which is the space that is not actually within the interior of the vehicle body and which, were the turret removed, would communicate directly with the outside. The turret 2 itself is arranged partly in the well 15, that is to say, the lower part of the turret is in the upper part of the well 15.

A conveyor mechanism 7, which includes a channellike guide, extends between the bunker 6 and the loading mechanism of the gun. The bunker 6 is fixedly connected, throughout its periphery, with the rotatable inner ring race 8 of the bearing 4. As will be seen from FIG. 1, the bunker consists of a cup-shaped housing 9 which is arranged below the turret 2 and extends into the interior of the vehicle body 1, the upper side of the housing 9 being closed off by a cover 10. This cover is provided with an opening 12 through which the ammunition ll may move, via the channel-like guide, which is in alignment with the opening 12, to the breach of the gun. In practice, the housing 9 is provided with a plurality of superposed and adjacent cells which are arranged in symmetrical groups, each group being provided with its own conveyor means.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the turret is supported on the inner ring race 8 of the azimuth bearing 4 by means ofa frame-like support system, the same incorporating main supports 13 (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) and a lateral support 14. The conveyor means 7 which connect the bunker 6 with the breach end of the gun is located in the space between the supports 13 and 14.

positioned so as to be in alignment with the lower end of the conveyor means 7.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an arrangement in which the bunker is arranged centrally with respect to the turret and rotatable therewith about the vertical axis. Moreover, the bunker is connected to the turret for movement with only those parts of the turret which partake only of rotation of the turret about the vertical axis, such as the parts 8, l3 and 14.

The bunker is, moreover, secured against radial movement by at least one of the supports 13, 14, irrespective of the angular position of the turret.

Thanks to the above arrangement, there is provided a structure in which the center of gravity of the triaxially stabilized turret is independent of the position and quantity of ammunition. Consequently, the turret may be stabilized more precisely and with less powerful drives than would otherwise be required.

Yet another advantage of the above-described arrangements is that the ammunition bunker is located outside of the turret proper and in a separate chamber, i.e., the lower part of the well 15, which in turn increases the amount of space available within the turret.

Moreover, thanks to the central and low position of the ammunition bunker, the center of gravity of the armored vehicle as a whole is lowered, thus increasing the maneuverability and stability of the vehicle.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations.

lclaim:

1. In an armored vehicle, the combination which comprises:

a. a vehicle body having a well;

b. a turret mounted on said body for rotation about at least a vertical axis and being arranged partly in said well, said turret being mounted on said vehicle body by means of a support frame, whose upper end supports said turret and extends into the interior of said turret, and an annular azimuth bearing having inner and outer race rings, said outer race ring being secured to said vehicle body and said inner race ring being secured to the lower end of said support frame;

c. an ammunition bunker located beneath said turret and in said well, said bunker being arranged centrally with respect to said turret and being rotatable therewith about said vertical axis, said bunker being connectedto said turret for movement with only those parts of said turret which partake only of rotation of said turret about said vertical axis, said bunker comprising a cup-shaped housing having a cover provided with an opening, the upper portion of said housing being connected throughout its periphery to said inner race ring;

. conveyor means including a channel-like guide arranged above said cover and in alignment with said opening for receiving ammunition from said housing; and

e. said support frame includes means for preventing radial movement of said housing irrespective of the angular position of said turret. 

1. In an armored vehicle, the combination which comprises: a. a vehicle body having a well; b. a turret mounted on said body for rotation about at least a vertical axis and being arranged partly in said well, said turret being mounted on said vehicle body by means of a support frame, whose upper end supports said turret and extends into the interior of said turret, and an annular azimuth bearing having inner and outer race rings, said outer race ring being secured to said vehicle body and said inner race ring being secured to the lower end of said support frame; c. an ammunition bunker located beneath said turret and in said well, said bunker being arranged centrally with respect to said turret and being rotatable therewith about said vertical axis, said bunker being connected to said turret for movement with only those parts of said turret which partake only of rotation of said turret about said vertical axis, said bunker comprising a cup-shaped housing having a cover provided with an opening, the upper portion of said housing being connected throughout its periphery to said inner race ring; d. conveyor means including a channel-like guide arranged above said cover and in alignment with said opening for receiving ammunition from said housing; and e. said support frame includes means for preventing radial movement of said housing irrespective of the angular position of said turret. 